Weekly News Roundup
GoPro builds a mirrorless camera, DJI launches a new pocket gimbal, and NAB brings a wave of announcements worth paying attention to.
This week in photography: GoPro announces the Mission 1 series, DJI launches the Osmo Pocket 4, NAB opens in Las Vegas, Viltrox announces new lenses, and DaVinci Resolve takes on Lightroom.
GoPro Announces the Mission 1 Series
This is the biggest camera story of the week and possibly one of the most significant product announcements GoPro has ever made. The Mission 1 series is not an action camera. It is not an incremental upgrade to the Hero line. It is a complete reinvention of what GoPro makes and who it makes it for.
The series comprises three cameras built around a new 50 megapixel one-inch sensor and GoPro's new GP3 processor. The Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 are compact cinema cameras capable of shooting up to 8K at 60fps with 14 stops of claimed dynamic range and 10-bit GP-Log2 capture. These are serious specifications. But the headline model is the Mission 1 Pro ILS, and ILS stands for Interchangeable Lens System.
GoPro has built a mirrorless camera. It uses the Micro Four Thirds mount, the same system used by Panasonic Lumix cameras and Blackmagic cinema bodies, which means access to a wide ecosystem of lenses from Panasonic, OM System, Sigma, and third party manufacturers. The Mission 1 Pro ILS is rugged, weather sealed, and designed to be mounted, submerged, or stuffed in a jacket pocket while shooting cinema-grade footage. There is nothing else quite like it in the market right now.
The timing is hard to ignore. GoPro announced the Mission series weeks after cutting 23 percent of its workforce. This is an all-in bet on the premium market rather than continuing to compete on price with DJI and Insta360 in the commodity action camera space. Whether the bet pays off depends on whether the image quality and pricing justify the ambition when the cameras actually ship.
Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 are available for pre-order from May 21 with shipping May 28. The ILS model ships in Q3 2026. Pricing will be revealed at NAB this week.
DJI Announces the Osmo Pocket 4
DJI launched the Osmo Pocket 4 on April 16, the next generation of its popular compact gimbal camera. The headline specification is a one-inch CMOS sensor capable of 4K at 240fps, a significant jump from the Pocket 3. The standard combo is priced at £445 in the UK and includes the camera, handle, wrist strap, and carrying pouch. A Creator Combo at £549 adds a wide-angle lens, DJI Mic 3 kit, fill light, and mini tripod.
The Pocket 4 is not available in the US market. DJI says the authorization application is still pending and will announce US availability separately. Photographers and filmmakers in the US who want one will need to wait or source from other markets.
Almost immediately after the announcement, rumors of a Pocket 4P professional model began circulating. The reported Pocket 4P would feature a dual camera setup with wide and telephoto modules providing 3x to 4x optical zoom, a meaningful upgrade over the standard model. A June 2026 announcement is being suggested by multiple sources. Worth watching.
NAB Show Opens in Las Vegas
The NAB Show opened in Las Vegas on April 18 and runs through April 26. NAB is primarily a broadcasting and production technology event but it has become increasingly relevant for photographers as the lines between stills, video, and content creation continue to blur. This year's show is expected to produce a significant number of announcements relevant to the Collective.
Already confirmed for the show are new Viltrox lenses, Panasonic's Lumix 40mm f/2 S and a special edition Lumix S9, and Freefly joining the L-mount alliance with new products. GoPro pricing for the Mission 1 series will also be revealed during the show. We will cover the most relevant announcements in next week's roundup as details emerge from the show floor.
Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB Officially Announced
Viltrox has officially announced the AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB for Sony E-mount. This is a lens worth paying close attention to. The f/1.2 aperture puts it in territory usually reserved for significantly more expensive first-party glass, and Viltrox has built a genuine reputation for optical quality that competes well above its price point.
The optical construction uses 13 elements in 9 groups incorporating ED, HR, and UA glass, with an APO design specifically aimed at maximum color accuracy and the elimination of chromatic aberration. The autofocus uses an STM motor with a minimum focusing distance of 0.43 meters. It weighs approximately 365 grams and features a sealed mount with a water and dirt resistant front coating. A clickable control ring, AF/MF switch, and Fn button complete the control layout.
For street and portrait photographers on Sony E-mount who want a fast 35mm with serious optical credentials at a price well below Sony's own 35mm f/1.4 GM this is a compelling option. Pre-orders are open now at the official Viltrox store and should be available shortly at B&H Photo.
DaVinci Resolve Announces a Photo Editing Mode
Blackmagic Design has announced that DaVinci Resolve 21 will include a dedicated photo editing page. The announcement came at NAB this week and positions the professional video editing and color grading software as a direct competitor to Adobe Lightroom for still image editing.
This is worth paying attention to for several reasons. DaVinci Resolve is already a professional grade application with best in class color grading tools that photographers who also shoot video will know well. A dedicated photo editing workflow built on those same tools could be genuinely powerful. Resolve also offers a free version with substantial capability, which gives photographers a no-cost alternative to Lightroom's subscription model if the photo editing tools prove competitive.
The full details of what the photo editing page includes are still emerging from NAB. We will have a clearer picture of whether this is a serious Lightroom competitor or a more limited addition once hands-on coverage from the show begins appearing. Worth watching closely over the next week.
Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8, 55mm f/1.8 EVO APO Lenses Confirmed for NAB
Viltrox has confirmed it will officially announce the AF 35mm f/1.8 EVO APO and AF 55mm f/1.8 EVO APO lenses for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts at NAB this week. Both carry the EVO APO designation which signals Viltrox's highest optical tier, lenses designed to compete with first-party glass on optical quality rather than simply undercutting on price.
The APO design in both lenses prioritizes the elimination of chromatic aberration and maximum color accuracy across the frame. The 35mm and 55mm focal lengths are both highly practical for street, documentary, and portrait work. Pre-orders are already open at Foto Erhardt in Germany and should appear at B&H Photo and the official Viltrox store following the NAB announcement.
Between the AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB announced earlier this week and these two EVO APO primes confirmed for NAB, Viltrox is having a significant week. The Chinese lens market continues to push into optical territory that would have seemed implausible a few years ago and Viltrox is leading that charge.
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